Big December doings

A great deal of aviation history has been wrought during the month of December.

Consider:

12/17/1903  The Wright Flyer lifted into the cold wind at Kitty Hawk, NC, for 12 seconds, covering 121 feet.  The first powered flight in history.  Within the next 66 years, mankind would go from the sands of Kitty Hawk to the sands of the moon.

12/10/1911  Cal Rodgers flew the Wright EX from Long Island to Pasadena.

12/1/1935 The first airway traffic control tower was established in Newark, NJ.

12/17/1935  The first Douglas DC-3 took off in Santa Monica, CA.

12/1/1941  The Civil Air Patrol was established.

12/7/1941  The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor from the air.

12/20/1957  The first flight of the Boeing 707.

12/15-16/1965  A Gemini orbital rendezvous was flown by Wally Shirra and Tom Stafford.

12/21-27/1968  Apollo 8 orbited the moon with Borman, Lovell, and Anders.

12/7-19/1972  The Apollo 17 crew of Cernan, Evans, and Schmitt made the last lunar landing.

12/23/1986  Voyager flew nonstop around the world with no refueling.

12/15/2009  The Boeing 787 Dreamliner flew for the first time.

12/23/2014  Airbus delivered the first A350.

12/2015  Author Phil Bowie has available on Amazon in print and Kindle DEATHSMAN, the fourth novel in his John Hardin series, which contains thrilling aviation scenes.  People order it in large numbers through his website, www.philbowie.com

Have a happy holiday season and a bright new year.

Phil